Marc Devine Jazz

Classic. Jazz. With a core group of piano, bass, and drums, this band provides the light, energetic sound of the classic Jazz trios of the 1950s while avoiding the trendy "swing band" cliche. Perfect music to lighten up the party yet let people comfortably converse while listening and get their toes tapping! A touch of classic elegance for any event.

Marc Devine is a Jazz pianist/bandleader in NYC. Rooted in the Bebop tradition, Marc Devine is presenting REAL Jazz music and carrying on the message. Developing a taste for Jazz while still in highschool, he attended the University of New Hampshire and played with several Jazz ensembles including two big bands and a Jazz choir. While at UNH, Marc was exposed to great Jazz musicians such as Phil Woods, Milt Hinton, Frank Wess, took some lessons with pianist James Williams and was introduced to the music and teaching of legendary trumpeter Clark Terry (famous for his work with Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Tonight Show Band) and trumpeter Stephen Fulton. Marc went on to study with Stephen Fulton and Morris Nelms at the Clark Terry International Institute of Jazz Studies, where he began to develop a style based on his piano influences Wynton Kelly, Red Garland (both of whom played with Miles Davis), Hampton Hawes, Bud Powell, Count Basie and Errol Garner. Marc also had the opportunity to study and perform with Jazz greats Red Holloway, Butch Miles, Jessie Davis, and, of course, Clark Terry. After leaving the Clark Terry school, Devine moved to the Austin area where he played as a sideman and most often lead his own groups. His bands performed regularly at all of Austin's Jazz venues and several festivals including The Zilker Park Jazz Festival, The Kemah Jazz Festival, and became a mainstay at the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi, TX. Coming to NYC in January of 2009 after establishing himself on the forefront of the Jazz scene in Austin, TX. Marc is making a name for himself as hard swingin' pianist rooted in the traditions of bebop and swing and has already performed at venues such as Small's Jazz Club, Smoke, The Iridium, Cleopatra's Needle (running a weekly trio gig/jam session), The Garage, , Flute Bar, Tomi Jaz, The Velvet Lounge and several other venues both as a sideman and as a leader working with some of the best musicians in the city. His working bands include the great jazz drummers Fukushi Tainaka (drummer for Lou Donaldson), Jackie Williams (has played with all of the jazz greats including Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines, Barry Harris, Junior Mance, Doc Cheatham, Buck Clayton), bassists Paul Sikivie and Hide Tanaka (bassist for Junior Mance) and has performed with trombonist Benny Powell, saxophonist Jerry Weldon, drummer Jimmy Wormworth and others. Swingin'